A few weeks before the 2022 Rebelle Rally, I came across a rookie team on social media that were entering the event as privateers, competing in a Bronco Sport First Edition. Since this was my second year in a Sport and seventh year as a competitor, I reached out to them to introduce myself and see if they had any questions. We struck up a friendship, and I was amazed at how well they performed as rookies, despite some significant challenges pre-rally.
For those not familiar with the Rebelle Rally, it is an eight-day off-road navigational rally exclusively for women. More information can be found at www.rebellerally.com. There are two classes, the 4x4 class (think transfer case with low range) and X-Cross class (AWD).
I reached out to them for their story: It’s an interesting one. Read on as Karisa takes you from start to finish, and on to what’s next!
Learning about the Rally and Choosing the Right Car
We first learned about the Rebelle Rally in 2018, and I was sure that Trista (navigator) and I, Karisa, (driver) would make it a reality someday. First, we needed a vehicle capable of not only entering and competing but also surviving to the finish line –– and then making it home to continue the main job of daily driver.
Ford had just started taking orders for the new full-sized Bronco, but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for as an everyday driver. I was coming from having a gen2 4Runner and really appreciated the smaller-sized SUV body style while also having the ability to drive off-road.
When I heard that Melissa Clark and her Bronco Sport had not only completed the Rebelle Rally but had come away with a win in the X-Cross category, I knew that was the vehicle for me! It the perfect size and had the capability to compete and WIN the Rebelle!
After I received my Bronco Sport First Edition, I knew we needed to take it off road and put it through every terrain and condition possible to truly understand what it was made of! We did just that over the course of the next year. At every off-road course and training we attended, we put it to the test. And everywhere we went, people were blown away by the capabilities of this vehicle. We named it the Baby Bronco.
The Road to Rebelle Is Not Always Smooth
We had a few bumps along the way, such as a damaged tone ring and dents in the undercarriage, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed and set up for the next off-road adventure.
Prepping the Baby Bronco itself for the Rebelle was minimal. We went up a tire size –– the largest we could go without installing a lift, got some rad wheels from Gear Off Road, and installed the skid plate and light bar from Rally Innovations. We removed the rear seats to make room for more gear and had a Terratrip external precision odometer installed. We also attached a roof rack to hold one of our spare tires. Other than those few changes, we were basically bone-stock!
As Privateers, We Needed Help to Compete
The entry fee is very high, so to help offset some of those costs, we were able to secure some amazing sponsors who believed in us and our efforts. We were also able to crowdsource funds with sales of our stickers and cups and tumblers. Finally, we had a fun campaign where for a small donation, your name would be included on our bumper.
We Almost Didn’t Reach the Start Line
The 2022 Rebelle start was located at Incline Village, on the shore of Lake Tahoe. I live in Washington state and needed to make a 13-hour drive just to get to tech inspection. About 10 hours into the journey, as it was getting dark and there was no cell service, the whole dash of the Baby Bronco lit up! The car was overheating. I pulled off the road as soon as I could and opened the hood, let the radiator cool down, and with the help of a passing fire ranger, discovered that something was seriously wrong with the radiator. There was fluid everywhere on the engine and the reservoir was dry. I filled it up with the backup water I had available and headed to cell service. I reached out to Trista who was a few miles ahead of me and informed her of the issue. I also reached out to Melissa Clark to let her know our current situation.
We limped the vehicle to Susanville, California by refilling the reservoir every 20 minutes or so. The next morning, I made it to Susanville Ford dealership and through the kindness of their heart, Jerika, the service provider, got a tech to come in on his day off to diagnose. We needed a new radiator, and our only hope was that it would arrive and be installed by our appointed time for tech inspection at Incline Village. We also had Bronco Sport Brand Manager Jason Hyde trying to get us a radiator as soon as possible. After a few disappointing failed overnight deliveries and attending tech inspection without a vehicle, we were headed to the first basecamp … without a rally vehicle and instead in Trista’s family Ford Transit van!
At the Last Minute, We Made the First Day of Competition
By sheer luck and some amazing people, the Baby Bronco was fixed and driven out to us in the middle of the desert, about two hours before we were set to embark on day zero of the rally! The minute we arrived at basecamp with the Baby Bronco, I got it tech inspected and stickered while Trista plotted our first day’s coordinates.
At that point, the stress of the rally was long past. Nothing had the power to bother us. We were happy to simply to be there with a functioning vehicle! From that point on the Baby Bronco did exactly what it was supposed to do. We had been training and driving all year for this, and it stepped up to the plate without a hitch! We once again put it to the test of every desert and mountain terrain one could possibly think of. Its small frame let it straddle ruts and cruise up berms in the road effortlessly. We climbed up rocky mountains and cruised through washes with ease. With our no-stress attitude and amazing navigation skills, we kept pace with teams that had been doing this for years. As we progressed though the rally, we realized that we might actually be in the running for Rookie of the Year, maybe even a spot on the podium!
Dune Day Is Daunting, Both for Driver and Navigator
One of the days that we had been the most apprehensive about was the last day of the rally, dune day at the Imperial Sand Dunes in Glamis. We knew we were going to get stuck at some point. The question was how quickly were we going to be able to get unstuck, and would we have anyone around to help us? We got stuck immediately after taking the hard way to get to our first checkpoint. We quickly assessed the situation and got ourselves free. We then met up with Team Built Wild with Melissa Clark at the wheel. Everything had come full circle. Not only were we now able to group up as a team in the dunes, but it was with the vehicle and driver that had initially inspired us to do what we were doing.
Not Just a Dunes Stage Win but also Rookies of the Year
We trusted them, and we earned their trust and finished the rally with a truly amazing day! We ended earning the Rookie of the Year Award in X-Cross, a stage win, and a Scrubblade contingency award!
I would say that the Bronco Sport truly made our inaugural Rebelle Rally the most memorable experience we could have ever asked for. We are super excited for what Rebelle Rally 2023 will bring: Follow our journey @teambabybronco on Facebook or Instagram!
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